Dear Readers…. I guess Sea Ranch Club was not as strong as it was in 2008 and will unfortunately bear the brunt of that loss as tonight candidate for commission Yann Brandt lost his race against his opponent Buz Oldaker who was heavily promoted and lobbied by the Greater Fort Lauderdale Realtors Association… an association he belongs to as a licensed realtor …This was a huge omission in his biography he purposely enacted to keep voters in the dark…in this writer’s opinion… He was the weaker candidate by far as he went head to head with Yann showing his utter lack of knowledge about the town with no homework done during the campaign to bone up on the issues he was sorely lacking insight in to…. Yann was endorsed by the Sentinel who saw those differences and recommended by the Pelican where the editorial staff was split … He tried mightily once he saw the writing on the wall at the League of Women Voter’s Candidate Forum and the underbelly of what forces were behind his opponent to let the voters know and to convey the differences and assure voters that he would not go down the road it seems we are definitely going down after March 29th… with no brakes in sight ….We will now see votes that will go down…4-1 ( Mayor Sasser who won heartily tonight might still be the 1 opposed on the apartment building purchase)……but….more often than not…. votes will be 5-0 …..It’s a return to those days this writer saw a decade ago… the Old Guard votes are back….It’s a sad day in Lauderdale-By-The -Sea….

Shortly after Yann Brandt decided to run for Stuart Dodd’s seat Mayor Scot Sasser made the upsetting and surprising decision not to run as a slate in this election or to openly endorse his former co-campaign manager (2010) making it much more difficult for Yann as this truncated election began….This about- face was made after Scot initially agreed it made sense do both and then for reasons this writer found contrary to the Scot Sasser I knew chose not to ….. Then the Supervisor of Elections messed up the ballots including Dan Darnell’s name after he had withdrawn within the allotted time to do so….and it was Yann who made the first calls…to the SOE, the Town and the Town Clerk to get it all straightened out…. when it seemed no change was forthcoming….I made the decision to inform Sea Ranch Club resident and board member Dan Darnell his name was on the ballot as he was in the dark about the snafu … but as he thanked me for doing so and knowing I supported Yann …I was informed by fellow condo owners that he sent an email to support Yann’s opponent Buz ….which was his right…but he did it admitting in his email he knew nothing about either candidate that early in the race… A disservice to those early voters ….in my opinion….especially since the issue of the Palm Club sewers settlement and where each candidate stood was not known at that time….a bone of contention in the Sea Ranch Condominiums who have long said ( 1st in 2007) a settlement to Palm Club for sewers on private property means SRC will ask for our lift ( for sewer) on private property to be paid for as well by the taxpayers….( I expect other condos to do the same!)…. He also later was shown endorsing Buz Oldaker in his mailer/ads…. The only remaining political action committee in town the aging CIC organized a last minute meeting with the candidates to ask them questions and then have their small group of members vote to endorse one…Their Chair Ken Evans called to ask Yann to ask him to participate even though Ken Evans the Broward Democratic State Committeeman had already openly endorsed Buz Oldaker as the Chair of the CIC online and was making phone calls for him….Yann asked Ken for a fair shake and went to the CIC to get one….The CIC did not comply….they ultimately endorsed Buz even though his stances on the issues ran counter to their core principles … They said as much in their endorsement last weekend … causing many former CIC members to comment on the strange content of that endorsement ….. Then you had an onslaught of attack emails to fellow realtors and businesses from that Realtors Association….asking for funds for their guy Buz and for their own association….. Vacation rentals will increase in town big time with continuing lack of enforcement and increasing numbers in neighborhoods with large imbalances as a result ….They are shown giving him $900 in total in Buz’s Candidate Treasury Report turned in to the Town Clerk on March 11th with one more treasury report to come in June which may exceed that amount….That’s influence paid for …just like the downtown businesses who have donated monies ….and are sure to come before him and others on the dais who accepted those funds….in my opinion…. Phony charges were trumped up at the 11th hour by the obnoxious Bob Fleishman… the former chair of the defunct north end of town PAC Unite Our Town at that CIC meeting with the help of one of his former nemesis concerning the VFD …. Yann was a member who proudly served and was the last one out when they were locked out by some of the very supporters of Buz who were and are involved with that issue as they were and are with the Palm Club sewers….being paid for by taxpayers as a “settlement” which will be sold to us a a “public safety issue” ….just as it was in the past….. The false charge made was that Yann was dismissed from the VFD in 2008….He received a form letter along with many others once the VFD was no longer the Town’s provider and they operating from a storefront on Commercial Blvd. doing training in the hopes of returning to replace the BSO…… Talk about negative campaigning…. Then there was the outlandish Buz Oldaker ads and mailer stating his opponent Yann Brandt had gone”negative” and was attacking him stating in his (Yann’s) ads/mailer he did not say what he is on the video saying …Saying he (Buz) did not say what he said at each meeting …until he took cover and had a meltdown at the CIC meeting ….Yann Brandt was not negative he was forthright in trying to do what opponents are supposed to do…inform the voters of the facts and the where the candidates stand on the issues as candidates and when they govern……I thought those differences were heard loud and clear when that Buz Oldaker mailer came last weekend due to where so many of those mailers ended up in Sea Ranch Club….. in the mailroom trash!….

This election continued from start to finish to be an uphill battle with so much to lose …and with a loss of 157 votes …. and the biggest coming from the 120 votes from the north …Buz Oldaker won with 54%…. certainly not a mandate…but definitely much larger and much more impactful than we’ve seen since 2006 showing …in this writer’s opinion….there is still a big divide in our town…. and districts must be kept in place… In fact…we may need to further address the way we vote by in the future by having the south end of LBTS vote for their 2 commissioners and the north end of LBTS for their 2 commissioners retaining a town-wide vote for the mayor if we see a backslide of governing in the next 2-4 years…..We are not one town when it comes to what we pay for and how we pay for it….or who we vote for and why…..The south better wake up just like they did in 2006….and keep a sharp eye on what is on the town commission agendas…what is voted on and how it’s enacted….with or without the peoples input ….and if the commission truly represents ALL of the people in LBTS….It’s a sad day in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea….

More to come…..

Comments Off on Here’s The Scoop …. It’s A Sad Day In Lauderdale-By-The-Sea …. The Dais’ Table is Full ….Sewers On Private Property…An Apartment Building Round 2….A Parking Garage And so Much More….

Dear Readers….. These two commissioners Scot Sasser and Chris Vincent enjoyed something this writer and many others thought was not possible … They followed in the footsteps of their fellow commissioner Stuart Dodd and Mayor Roseann Minnet to serve again on the dais unopposed!… That is really something!… It is part and parcel …in my opinion ….as to why candidate Elliot Sokolow won his seat to replace Commissioner Sasser in seat 1 !… As previously posted…. Elliot was the only candidate that gave these commissioners along with their fellow commissioners, Mayor Minnet and the current administration their due for all they have accomplished …especially over the past two years!… He spoke positively and often of what great strides had been made…what positive changes had come in both those serving on the dais, in town hall and throughout the town under their watch!… That is why these two joined those who endorsed their newly elected dais member!… Scot, Chris and Elliot will be sworn in next Tuesday March 18, 2014 ….We can all breathe a little easier now knowing that we will be well represented and we are able continue to move forward without any sideshows on or off the dais!… Congratulations to all the winners and especially to the residents and businesses of LBTS …who are winners as well tonight !…

Dear Readers… The voters of LBTS got it right once again!… Candidate Elliot Sokolow won the election for Commission Seat 1 tonight in a very close race due to candidate Eric Yankwitt not dropping out …in my opinion… Candidate Sokolow did everything right in this election and deserved this win!… He was prepared and organized from the start…He sent out the first mailer with the absentee ballot attached and he won the absentee ballot vote with 202 votes…former Commissioner Clottey who sent out an absentee ballot weeks later won 173 votes and Candidate Yankwitt who did not won 50 votes … Elliot walked door- to- door … He sent out a second personal post card from his wife … as well as taking out informative ads and attended meet and greets …He answered every question he was asked by newspapers ( by email and in person) and voters and businesses as well as organizations and in debates without ever changing his answers no matter the audience…He received the Pompano Pelican endorsement after the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board blew their endorsement by not knowing the current facts of our town…Elliot sent out a final mailer which contained the endorsement of the full LBTS Commission as well as the Mayors of Sea Ranch Lakes and Pompano Beach and the Chair of the Hillsboro Inlet Commission!… He made a large number personal calls and availed himself to all those who called him or stopped him throughout his run for seat 1 whether he was walking into town, to commission meetings, to attend special events, to meet the business owners or even while holding his sign in the last days leading up to election day!… On election day he was at the Town’s Jarvis election hall from 7 am until 7 pm to hand out palm cards and meet all those voters who made their way to cast their ballot…. All in all Elliot Sokolow did just as those who commissioners that endorsed him had done…his due diligence …thus earning his seat just as they all did!… Perhaps Commissioner Sokolow will also do what so many of the present commission have done if he chooses to go for a second term…be unopposed!… Congratulations to Commissioner- Elect Sokolow and all those who supported him, aided him in his campaign, endorsed him and voted for him!… LBTS will now move forward much as it has over the last two years with a commission comprised of those who want the best for our town and will continue the civility we have all enjoyed on the dais and in the town for the most part!….

For those who tried unsuccessfully to define this fine man negatively …tried to revise our town’s history …put forth false claims and fear-mongering of the town’s finances and future … as well as ignoring the election rules and regulations…their political days are definitely over …as their consequences for actions this election of not adhering to those requirements may not be!….

The referendum items results are as follows- #1 yes/ #2 yes/#3 no/ #4 yes/#5 no/ #6 yes ….#3 …the Mayor -Commissioner without a 2 year gap should have passed and should come back on the ballot in 2016 ..to make it fair ….and most likely will!….

“We endorse him believing he has no personal agenda and won’t require a learning curve to effectively serve the people of LBTS.”…Pompano Pelican Newspaper

Dear Readers- We are days away from the March 11, 2014 Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Municipal Election. I am hopeful …very hopeful that readers and the majority of voters in our town have actually taken the time to see the striking differences between the three candidates running for Seat 1 the seat that holds a commission member from the north end of town yet is voted in town wide. There have been a flurry of debates over the last weeks… The first one was not televised at the what many including this writer consider to be the last gasps of a dying political action organization…the CIC (Citizens Initiative Commission)…It was held at the Surf and Yacht Club on Palm Road on the beachfront that houses them when these straggling die-hard members who have rarely even met since they were trounced in the 2010 election try hard to retain some sort of relevancy as the town progresses without them. I have touched on this debate before …We heard that no timely notice of the meeting was made and at least one candidate was not notified of the format and the surety of the debate itself until the morning of!… This writer was told that one member of the board promised their would be no Furth attacks which many have witnessed over the years and saw once again when Cristie Furth came to the dais at the 2nd February Town commission meeting during public comments that were comprised of falsehoods, fear-mongering and her skewed revisionist history before being challenged and admonished by Commissioner Scot Sasser who has enjoyed an unopposed election to become our Mayor due to the very progress and changes resulting from the 2010 election she tried to cast a shadow over …Of course this appearance was made in order to put her co-hort/puppet candidate in a multitude of past CIC misdeeds former Commissioner Birute Clottey in the commission seat he now leaves!… At the CIC debate it is said former Commissioner Clottey promised those very same CIC holdovers to do whatever they wanted her to do as she has in the past…which is exactly why in 2010 she was left alone on the dais without the CIC backed slate to serve out her final 2 years alone!… Eric Yankwitt did what we have seen from this debate as well as the following two…toot his own horn- on what he has already done in what can only be described as a “Superman Complex” with a myriad of cliches and one-liners to make up for a lack of preparation and knowledge on the issues!… As this meeting ended it is said Marc Furth wanted more money …about $66,000 for the coral reef project which is his last attachment to the town outside his El Mar hotel…Former Commissioner Clottey and Eric Yankwitt were a go without the details to appease the Furths and the CIC ….Candidate Elliot Sokolow stated he could make no such promise without seeing the specifics!….

Before and in between these debates the voters received campaign literature by mail from Candidates Sokolow ( the first with an attached absentee ballot ) and Clottey with a coupon mailer containing a slip from Candidate Yankwitt (most of those never made it past the circular mail despensor aka the garbage can!)… While both mailers introduced the candidates only one…Elliot Sokolow’s offered voters factual information…all of which checked out and can be verified by those who served with him and hold him in good steed following his long service on numerous boards as well as running Sea Ranch Lakes as mayor and finance director….Clotteys’ overinflated claims were immediately countered by LBTS commissioners both past and present !… On the topic of campaign literature …voters should be made aware of former Commissioner Clottey’s very real problems with her required election financial reports…all three!… ( a final report will come after 3/11) ….While Clottey professes she is a knowledgable professional when it comes to business and finance…her reports filed say otherwise!… Clottey has walked down a eerily familiar McIntee ethics charged path…Apparently she has not declared (as required) all her expenditures in a timely manner and claimed reimbursements made to Marc Furth which are not allowed ….she is supposed to know as a candidate and the professional she professes to be!… Clottey and her team may find themselves facing the same election board in Tallahassee as McIntee did as soon as this election is over!…Do voters really want someone who cannot follow the requirements to report a small campaign’s finances to be integral in running out town’s finances?… This came right after the former commissioner had to apologize and then replace illegal campaign signs due to not following those requirements!… Clottey has tried as her managers Furth et al have tried to spout campaign rhetoric on reserves being drained and painting a picture of a bleak future of our town with high taxes and no money left to run it!… $15 million …is the mantra…but what that $15 million is …is…(the meaning of is..is) …depends on which speech is being made and to whom…..It could be $15 million saved by going to the VFD in 2008 to present…(hardly a solo effort made by Clottey) …$15 million in reserves used for all the new improvements made in the last few years…… All made with no hard solid facts to back them…Catchy dour mantras to reel in unaware voters and get Clottey-Furth back with a platform to continue with more pre- 2010 mantras…Really?…Is that even possible?… Say it ain’t so!… One aside about Clottey-Furth-CIC and their claims that the downtown project was not frugal enough …The cost was $4.75 million … no loans..no debt…no increased millage…and….the kicker…The very same CIC has the downtown project photos with positive captions plastered on its own CIC facebook page…and the Furths…used the same downtown project photos to market their hotel a few months back touting the very improvements/ finishing touches candidate Clottey claims she would have held back on !… Too funny!… Candidate Yankwitt is all over the place with his campaign…he irritated and inflamed the town, the businesses and the residents with a blitz of campaign signs made illegally set in areas not allowed and not wanted!… For an attorney as well as being on the Planning and Zoning board which had signs on the agenda he should have been well aware of the rules for campaign signs …or chose to purposely ignore them…which should be a red flag for voters!… Candidate Yankwitt is a member and treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce and sadly it looks as if he and the Chamber have decided to be political in this election !… He is the only candidate who chose to go the realtors association for their endorsement which aided him in an email blitz to help put up more signs and proclaimed he is the candidate that can help them in the future!…Hmmm…. will he then recuse himself when short-term/vacation rentals rears up on the dais…as it has on the campaign?…. The Chamber…businesses …hotels backing Yankwitt is beyond reason to this writer…How can you back someone who at every turn claims gambling is in our future?… That’s as mind boggling as those same entities backing Clottey who makes ongoing claims of run down hotels…drunken patrons…fights downtown…a downtown unsafe to visit … Is that the kind of marketing …representation these businesses want?… Candidate Sokolow has a business actual business experience and still runs a successful business…He fully understands what has transpired with the downtown project and the commission led decisions over the last two years… He is the lone candidate who has stated he loves what was accomplished and can see the benefits that come from it now and in the future!… The other two candidates have all but discounted the present successful commission at every turn!… Remember… Mayor Minnet and Commissioner Dodd were unopposed in 2012… and as stated above Vice Mayor Scot Sasser and Commissioner Vincent were unopposed this year…That alone should tell voters what the real deal is in LBTS !…

The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board embarrassed itself by endorsing Clottey (the didn’t endorse her in 2008) and basing it on her false assertions and antiquated town issues long since resolved apparently without even checking with their own LBTS assigned reporter who followed up this flawed endorsement correctly stating the wrong side Clottey was repeatedly on when she served her first term (backing fired TM Colon…her other bad acts are in previous posts…scroll down)… It is said that at a mini- debate with her opponent Elliot Sokolow …(Eric Yankwitt failed to show up!)… Clottey claimed she voted independently 99% of the time…Ha!… This writer found her voting record for 2008-2009 etc…perhaps she needs to hit refresh on that response for the 99% was with McIntee as well as the new 2010 majority when she was left to falter on her own as her backers slid away from sight with a landslide win kicking them to the curb in 2010!… The Pompano Pelican did what the Sentinel did not by doing their due diligence and endorsing Elliot Sokolow based on his resume… his campaign … his interview…and finding him to be consistent… factual…and more importantly qualified …They stated…”We endorse him believing he has no personal agenda and won’t require a learning curve to effectively serve the people of LBTS.”…

The final two debates were the Property Owners Meet the Candidates and the League of Women Voters Candidates Night … The first was pretty well attended with approximately 75 people in the hall…It came after some contentiousness concerning the group itself …its history…and any perceived agenda the group may or may not have due to conflicting reports of candidate Clottey being a hands raised installed member of the board …only to state she was not …with no minutes provided to show that hands raised installation was reversed!… There were a few who felt gotcha questions would be aimed at Clottey opponents and attacks might be in store… There were signs put up without identifying the POA ( as is routinely done with all their signage for meetings at Jarvis)… as well as the naming of it (Meet the Candidates) leading to voters thinking it was the LOWVoters event thus nullifying the LOWVoters taking place on March 4th …( LOWVoters had a small turnout which was blamed on both the POA event & lack of signage/advertising it)…The questions at the POA event were certainly bazaar … leaving the candidates to literally punt a good many of them!… Questions ranged from streamlining special event applications which impact few voters at best and have been quite improved over the last two years compared to prior years… As Clottey went sideways in her responses and Yankwitt responded in what would become his “hero” persona touting the events he has put on (which this writer is told brings forth the same small participants for each) …Sokolow spoke of online access and approval…The second question dealt with getting more to participate in elections and special events …which enacted more off the cuff general responses on the difference between participation of the two and possibilities to enhance each and proved once again to be a pedestal for Yankwitt to blow his horn on what he spearheaded….The third question about where in the budget would each make increases and decreases brought forth Yankwitt an attorney going after the budget for our contracted Town Atty. stating they are paid for board meetings etc… which is rather startling to hear from this candidate due not only to the fact he’s an atty. but that he spoke at this meeting (off the cuff ) and at the CIC debate of hiring paid help to help the commissioners out with the Town Manager etc… Huh?… Clottey piled on about the cost being “300 grand” each year without litigation services …stating the budget was tight and then veering off about highly paid staff employees doing work around town beneath their pay grade!… Clottey was around when her pal Esther Colon brought this law firm to the town without divulging until this writer caught it that she (Colon) had a prior connection to the firm … Mayor Minnet was instrumental along with other commissioners over the past 3 years in working to cut some costs and get the firm to decrease some costs…If the charges have increased substantially it would seem to me it was from the required Charter /ordinance changes which like the downtown project should not occur at such a large cost for at least another decade!… When the budget is checked it makes sense to put Town Atty. services out to bid…not only to see who else is out there but to see if the current firm wants it badly enough to negotiate more…Sokolow spoke with proficiency about the costs in government and outsourcing and what that saves long term… How to preserve and celebrate our heritage was next …Sokolow responded it was important and was being done with the mid-century modern -low-rise architecture celebrated and encouraged throughout the town as well as encouraging displays of historical photos and maintaining buildings… Eric diverted and blanket answered this one with broad strokes of running in order to keep and protect our small town…again with I..I…I… ( he really doesn’t need a commission…just a soap box will do!)…. Clottey spoke of what she was practiced to do in response to such a question…gave a heads up in recognizing her supporter and self-proclaimed “Town Historian” Jerry Sehl and of course finding the first of many opportunities to bring up the Furth’s #1 agenda item (besides getting a foothold with Clottey getting seat 1 on the dais) the coral reef -bio rock completion…The candidates were then given a minute to summarize/rebut their opponents… Elliot Sokolow stood out as he actually did summarize each item in order like a checklist and stated there was not much to rebut as Clottey reiterated her bio-rock statements and Yankwitt again went with his “hero” complex as bounced around looking for a complete sentence…There was audience questions which had an off camera moment with a former commissioner’s wife due to her not signing her name as required …The commissioners were asked what they had done in the last 5 years in town… Candidate Sokolow responded not much since he had only lived here for three…This writer thinks the question was particularly skewed as many of the previous to “old timers” …Had it been asked slightly differently he could have easily responded to his time on the Hilsboro Inlet as well as other boards that impact LBTS…He was not idle as others up on the dais with him were for some of those 5 years…Eric same- old self promotion we heard with each response…Clottey was inflating a good portion of her impact as she had done previously in this campaign…Next question was about their top five priorities and to wrap this one up this writer will sum it up this way…Clottey was stuck in 2007 and Yankwitt was stuck in his chest pumping one-man has done it all mode…and Sokolow spoke of the topics that we would expect offering up his proven expertise to tackle ….Again, here’s where the gambling issue arose and again what this writer cannot wrap her head around when it comes to such reckless rhetoric being used in a campaign race such as alarms of dirty business going on with new hotel buyers…ulterior motives and Clottey adding on to it with her pontificating on bad sidewalks on El Mar Drive and people falling …(harkening back to her first term claims of homeless people on the beach and her unsubstantiated claims of “the people” being adversarial when it came to dealing with BSO)…lost hotel rooms…and investors who “thought they were going to make a killing”…now compare that to Sokolow who spoke of the improvements being made…Vacation short term rentals came up with Clottey speaking of her personal impact and Yankwitt giving a few usual responses and only Sokolow providing why we are where we are currently with these rentals as he recounted what the Town Atty. stated when asked by Mayor Minnet after this came up at the previous commission meeting when the Mayor asked Town Atty. Trevarthen to explain the situation yet again.. thus showing he attended the meeting and retained the answer to the question rather than doing what his opponents offered up!… In closing Clottey again spoke of her resume and her many unsubstantiated claims ….Candidate Sokolow’s closing at the POA sponsored debate showed that he gets it…He understands what has happened in the last two years … He spoke of what he has seen and liked and why he decided to run as well as promising to continue this path we are on with civility, accountability, professionalism and fiscal responsibility… He was clearly seen in sharp contrast when compared to his opponents …so much so that many who had been leaning toward his opponents now leaned toward the man in the middle seat on the dais the evening of February 27th …Elliot Sokolow… One more debate to go …

Tuesday March 4, 2014 …one week before the election … the League of Women Voters Candidate Night was miserably attended and the questions and answers were like watching a rerun of answers although they were to different questions… That result was due to election time responses no matter the topic!… The opening- answers and closings were one minute each … It began with Candidate Yankwitt who was again unprepared and stated he was asked to run although he did not say by whom and as seen in the prior debate his reasons for doing so were keeping the the town’s small time quality of life and an eye on the budget …saying he is an accountant…Candidate Clottey gave the same opening as she did prior about the VFD and the 15 million and what she continues to claim it went for before being cut off… Candidate Sokolow chose to take this debate opening as a chance to expand on his long and distinguished community service that spans 40 years and covers all the bases when it comes to picking a candidate on qualifications… He ended with his Pelican endorsement “We endorse him believing he has no personal agenda and won’t require a learning curve to effectively serve the people of LBTS.”… and asking for the opportunity to do so …The questions included what are the top two priorities each candidate hoped to accomplish and how they would do it… Elliot Sokolow responded he would like to examine in great depth and detail the budget revenues and expenditures to look for places to cut expenses and raise revenues without feeing people to death…He also offered up the desire to revisit the VFD serving Sea Ranch Lakes as it has in the past…He has the real ability to do something that can benefit LBTS …He also stated he would look at traffic and parking…Eric Yankwitt stated as he had previously…parking-parking-parking…and flood insurance (how can a town commission do anything about flood insurance rates?) …He then rambles about not finding parking when he did not live in town and finding it once he did…huh?… He then did the north/south divide number and needing to bring people together… Birute Clottey spoke once again about maintaining infrastructure and in the first of many times it seemed she was channeling others she spoke of keeping out capital improvements looking nice (Diane Boutin ) before going back to who we do and don’t want in our town and fear-mongering that boogie man mantra Fort lauderdale’s “Beach Place” and being declared a nuisance by Fort Lauderdale…What?….She said we are in good financial shape but don’t want to spend recklessly …(we have not done so)… Tourism was up next and what each would do to aid in it… Clottey stated the town hasn’t decided who it wants to market to…(she missed the marketing presentation at the last commission meeting which more than covered how far reaching the current consultants have gone and which specific areas they have covered…oops!)…Clottey went back again to those young undesirables …and the certain types of quality people we want down in town and the money they should have…Sokolow spoke on the ongoing partnership and dialogue the hotels/restaurants/ residents need due to the fact that those businesses are the “lifeblood of this community ” and bringing in the marketing experts as well… Yankwitt did the one-man show and spoke of meeting with the Mayor of Broward County and the needed balance of tourists inside and outside (?) …from over the bridge and bad hotels ( he doesn’t want to fill those!)…but we can’t fine them to death…Seems from what this writer has heard that fining to death worked with the sale of a few!… Economic development and incentives for new and old businesses was up next… Sokolow responded that many were helped by the Commercial Blvd. project and more such improvements are coming (He was speaking of Comm. Brown’s work with the county for 4 million for El Mar)… and added that it seems time for the businesses to contribute as well… Yankwitt asked for the question to be repeated and went back to the Chamber and his position as treasurer on the Chamber ( past candidates have stepped down when running I believe to avoid conflicts and politics within the Chamber)… he spoke of repairing the relationship and spoke of Sister Cities (a debacle he was involved in a short time ago that caused quite a ruckus with charges of actions that many claimed were made without regard to the past Sister Cities participants) aiding in tourism “from across the ocean” …he then digressed to say government should stay out of business…and added the wonderful Commercial Blvd. before being cut off…Clottey said that at the last debate she said the businesses and residents should sit down and that the businesses have a pretty good idea “who’s commin in ” and “who they want to keep out”…After saying again we should listen to them she said we are a small town and how much economic development do we want?… It was time again for the parking issue and whether it should be public and/or private … for a garage that is…Yankwitt brought up his study he claims was a year and a half in the making and presented to the local chamber as well as the Broward chamber…Hmmm. would this be the study done and shown on the LBTS Chamber site and his campaign facebook site?…Why no mention of bringing to the LBTS Commission over the last year?… He stated a parking garage might change the way we interact and change the businesses…My take this guy does not work well with others…it’s that hero complex…My concern…the last LBTS Commissioner who thought he was a hero…McIntee!…Clottey said we have been “talkin” about this for many,many years and with a parking study in the works it’s premature …need to see results but prefers a public/private venture not done with taxpayer monies …She then stated the parking fund was flush with a million dollars due to the credit card machines …many of those upgrades were done after her first term…and against much of supporters wishes …(progress you know…dirty word to some stuck in time)….Sokolw responded as well that the parking study results call for us to wait and see adding he has not experienced any parking problems and sees much of the problem is due to changes of parking being 2-3 blocks away rather than the old time ability of parking right in front of the business people are patronizing …he ended by saying he was not in favor of using public money… The Chamber was yet again the topic … the question was the relationship with the town…all three candidates spoke of a need for a chamber and a resolution to whatever issues there are …Clottey spoke as she has in the past while on the commission of the chamber not speaking up for local merchants in town…Eric pompously touted his takeover of the beach clean up which up until last year was done not only by the chamber but by Mayor Minnet with the aid of Aruba and others successfully… Next he will tell us he invented the internet…(previously posted…ego size seems much the same!)… The 2nd coral reef project … Clottey did some election time backpedaling as well as channeling her opponent Elliot Sokolow in stating she needed to see what it entails before approving it and wants the county to kick in… Elliot recalled and recounted the CIC debate and the original ask for an additional wire to the first reef and his concerns over the costs for that citing a problem he dealt with while on the Hillsboro Inlet Commission and the cost being prohibitive especially for a town our size…He spoke of a partnership with Nova the premiere entity when it comes to coral reef structures… Eric wondered off to grants and the reef being part of the solution to save the beach (ours is approximately the size of a king size bed !) …jumping to the sea oats …his serving on the League of Cities ( we were told as an associate member )…Then it was traffic congestion on A1A … where Eric Yankwitt spoke of the 4-way red light experiment and the backup traffic resulting from it and spoke then of the hole in the dike scenario before offering up an overpass…the pelican hopper and going personal about being a walker and that parking is a challenge…Elliot Sokolow said we need to sit down with DOT and county …and get rid of the all red which has nothing as jaywalkers still go across and it just adds to the traffic problems on A1A… he stated the obvious that the congestion comes from people coming to the town and we want them!… Birute Clottey said it was the 64,ooo dollar question and stated it’s high season …that removing the 4-way red would improve the traffic and went to the dark side in this writer’s opinion channeling past ideas of Las Vegas like overpasses that are also popular in european nations!… How exactly does that solution fit with our small seaside town and how is that fiscally responsible?… naturally the next question was …music on Friday and Saturday nights and…parking and traffic during the events…Clottey said it was a tradition…( a tradition she did not always support and often thwarted just because her group wanted payback!) …She said she wasn’t going to stop them…This writer doesn’t buy that for a minute with who are her handlers )… She spoke of an old study which I believe was skewed by a former consultant of 900 people crossing west to east and said congestion is a reality of life… Yankwitt said he is a part of the congestion because he and his fiancee ( spiritual partner) enjoy the weekly events which gives the town vitality and said we should extend the Pelican Hopper …offer spread out parking and people movers… (his money saving seems to go somewhere else…assistants… people movers…overpasses…adds up the $)… Sokolow said he was also in favor of the music but due to the hotel owners and residents who are impacted by the loudness the decibel levels need to be looked at ( to adjust what is now allowed) … On traffic and street closures he once again talked of the partnership needed and alternatives to be considered such as the new plazas….Public bathrooms…we knew that one was coming… Elliot Sokolow said he is in favor of them stating that is not fair to businesses to open up bathrooms to non patrons and that we need to look at what kind we are going to install…location depends on if the purpose is to alleviate the restaurant use then the parking lots next to EggN Ham or the newly purchased property just south of Commercial on El Mar could work …if not El Prado… Eric Yankwitt said bathroom are tricky and took a very weird take on whether they should be provided when tourists being encouraged to use restaurants to become patrons and then residents ending with it’s gotta be El Prado…Huh?… Birute Clottey said the issue was hard to find the solution for before digressing in to where Minto security guards say beach-goers go to bathroom by them with no bathrooms available…(ugh)… She then took a page from Mark Brown in 2012 who pushed for modular units that could be moved and tested for not only location but for safety and security,…Just when you thought you heard it all…global warming!… And flooding concerns… Candidate Yankwitt spoke of Hurricane Sandy and watching it from home as well as his brother’s bad experience in New York before stating global warming /climate change is perhaps upon us…he said we needed to protect the beach …and spoke again of the coral reef …sea oats …and recycling …and all of us coming together …we can resolve anything …kumbaya comes to mind!… Candidate Clottey said it’s not anything we as a community can prevent and that it’s an issue we as citizens of the US and the world need to participate in!… She spoke of our town being higher than Fort Lauderdale and sand loss as well as roads being washed away and that a time will come when we have to give those roads back to the ocean!… Candidate Sokolow responded after the moderated participated stating this was a difficult problem … by stating it’s a difficult problem but that he didn’t think the people in the hall are capable of solving in any short order… He brought it back to what we can do in the short term (decades…in my book)…by continuing with projects such as the sea oats (Comm Brown was in charge of a sea oats planting the week prior) which has some actual science behind it as a deterrent for high waters and winds… Thank goodness someone had the wherewithal to not be a bumper sticker candidate!….On to the next question…Town budget tax rate concerns and what changes would you make going forward?…Clottey said her priorities were not to raise taxes …stating most goes for public safety and we don’t want cuts there…She went back to her previous statements about the Town Atty. costs and her charges of overpaid staff that are in jobs that don’t offer enough work at their pay grade leaving them to do the work of employees making 1/3 of what they are paid?… The Town Manager needs to address these consistent charges made by Candidate Clottey as to there being any validity or calling it out as false!… Sokolow answered that he wanted voters to understand the arcane and boring tax bills and to understand the percentages and what they really mean to LBTS taxpayers…19 & 1/4 % goes to LBTS and 80.257% goes to the county, school board etc…and a 10% tax cut equals approximately a $40 dollar reduction yearly… He would look at every line item in the budget and see where cuts could be enacted and believes in outsourcing which is cost effective and efficient…Yankwitt… took a different tact… an odd departure…that was a head scratcher for sure… He said we have the hardest working town employees he has ever seen… “They’re $100,000 getting paid $7 an hour. Do the math!”… The TM needs to answer this as well…id there any town employee only making $7 an hour in our town…the rest of the remark…anyone who can figure that out… kudos!… He said they could go through the budget sure…but as an accountant as it accumulates it’s a big chunk…(huh?)…He spoke of us having the lowest tax rates in Broward but on the flip side property values are relatively high …we pay a lot per person…that means when you have a rich town hall you have a poor taxpayer !… He said that needs to be examined…..Question on short term rentals in neighborhoods was bound to be included and it was… Clottey did the same response as she offered up prior about the impact to her adding that companies are buying up homes nationwide and turning them in to hotels…asking if that’s what we want in our town…She spoke of the League of Cities initiative and the need to get on board to get rid of short term rentals… Sokolow repeated as he had prior about the Town Atty . what we have on the books and until state laws change all we can do is report any code violations or suspected use of less than 7 days … Yankwitt who seemed to be going after Sokolow as the questions progressed …said Candidate Sokolow was correct about the Town Atty. bit offered up a different solution of not fining people only to forgive those fines …he wants to educate our neighbors…opening our doors… saying that to call the police … on violators would lead to living in a different kind of country…we are a small town…it’s all addressed in our zoning laws and we can’t have short term rentals in residential neighborhoods!… Yikes!… Topping that was the inevitable gambling question Yankwitt used as a campaign issue… It was tied to the State Legislature and casinos in South Florida…Elliot answered it began in the state legislature over one property in Broward and one in Dade …and we do not have a property that is large enough in LBTS… If it ever came to be allowed in every corner he would lead the opposition in our town…it’s not needed …. Eric held up the Town Topics special issue and said it was one of his campaign issues…again he spoke of the newly bought properties on El Mar surmising reasons for their purchase from expensive condos to gambling …Birute said there would be not casinos unless some Indian Nation was going to buy up half of El Mar…can’t open one…and we shouldn’t be “talkin” about it or people will think we are seriously considering it …She ten again spoke of Indian Tribes …Hmmm…I think the politically correct term is Native American!… The soft ball question of the night was next in the form of what personal attribute do you have that is unique to you that will make a difference as a commissioner… Candidate Yankwitt was first to answer and said he has energy, enthusiasm and is passionate about this town…he said he has shown it over the last several years with his Thanksgiving dinner and theater events…He again used Vice Mayor Scot Sasser’s campaign slogan of having two ears and one mouth… “You sir are NO Scot Sasser!”…Just couldn’t resist!…He also spoke of his fiancee once again …Candidate Clottey said she was elected before and it didn’t go to her head…she wasn’t an ego head… She said she listened gave careful consideration …she said she was a leader and harkened back to her time as a member of the Barry University Senate and dealing with highly educated people …what a hard job that was!…Especially when they could walk out at any time thumbing their nose at you..She said she has the personality to do an excellent job… Please Clueless…was a major disappointment as commissioner …and an embarrassment too many times to count…and on thew wrong side of progress….as well as having it in for Mayor Minnet …In this writer’s opinion nothing is different 2 years later to put her back in!…Elliot said his personal attribute is patience acknowledging his upcoming 50 year anniversary as well as his 40 year careers in business and giving back as a “perennial volunteer” who did it all for no pay (except health insurance on Hillsboro) …he stated he does it because it needs to be done… The last question…3 major issues facing LBTS… Clottey spoke of the town’s finished capital improvements and infrastructure and keeping it maintained (again) who we are going to market the town to (again) drainage projects and the drainage project in her area of Bel Air which she said was done by the county 15 years ago…sub standardly …Yankwitt said Parking parking parking (again) …Flood insurance and being apart of the senate bill or we will suffer (again) the challenges at the beach ..which he cleans (again)…infrastructure…sand coming in …washing away …tourist attractions…and heights…(again!)… Sokolow spoke of the long term issues…our aging infrastructure underground….run down properties at the south end entrance to town and elsewhere and traffic..not parking…

The closings… Elliot Sokolow was first with thanking the League of Women Voters and talking about public safety…the VFD and Sea Ranch Lakes …the budget and traffic and that his first official act will be to sign the personal code of conduct …and he promised to respect and listen to all as well as to vote with his conscience for what the people want…he said experience matters and he has the relevant experience from day 1…to keep us moving forward!… Birute Clottey was next saying she has a vision for the future and will continue moving forward with maintenance- infrastructure (yep…again) …stopping extravagant spending (hmmm overpasses like Las Vegas and european countries?)…keeping taxes low low rise community (again)… zoning laws not made by commissioners (can’t be done now)… finishing with saying she delivered on every promise she made and offering continued progress and financial accountability… Her commission resume does not live up to her new promises and her campaign issues stated above should be a big red flag to voters!… Eric Yankwitt was last and was made the most underhanded slight seen during this campaign…He thanked all including his fellow candidates before stating there were distinctions between them …that he cares…and “nobody cares that you care until they know you care …and I’ve shown that over the last couple of years ..(compare that to his opponents and it shows he cared less in time served giving back!)…He touted his time on P & Z and the League of Cities which his opponent served on as a board member not an associate member adding his profession (s) as an atty., accountant and mediator … he said they were all successful and he is a small business owner …”They’ve been in business to a degree”… What!… Candidate Sokolow’s resumes are way beyond any resume Candidate Yankwitt has put forth!…That speaks volumes to this writer on what is really behind the “approachable” character this candidate purports to be!… With that the debates were over for 2014!…

As the days count down there is likely to be calls made by and for candidates …signs being held on street corners along with final mailers and ads…Then it comes down to the LBTS voters… What do we want 2008 or 2010 and 2012?… It should be an easy decision …Who is best to continue on with what has happened since we took back our town in 2010 and progressed on and off the dais offering our residents and businesses everything they said they were missing in 2008 to 2010!… The only candidate that can assure LBTS 4 more years of civility …professionalism and fiscal responsibility is Candidate Elliot Sokolow….Make sure you fill in the second bubble on your ballot and let’s close the door once and for all on 2008 foes and stragglers knocking on our doors to see if we have forgotten the past…as well as yet another character who purports to be just a nice guy sitting on the dais… again ….in my opinion!…

Former Commissioner Birute Ann Clottey at the dedication of the Commercial Blvd. Pavilion with all those she fully supported before they were ousted from Town Hall and the employ of LBTS!…

Dear Readers- You may have fallen victim to campaign revisionist history on behalf of the motley crew of backers supporting Birute Ann Clottey to return to the dais for a second act!… (Some of these avid supporters vehemently opposed her and 99% of her decisions/votes in the first 2 years of her term!)…They are playing hard and fast with the truth in order to secure their final hurrah…their final foot in the door….their final chance to stop the peace and the progress made without their questionable actions over the past few years …They are so full of themselves…so locked in reviving their past power play years that resulted in the Town’s version of the Peter Principle on steroids! It came with the rise in ranks of incompetent Town commissioners such as Clottey and her pals….Jerry McIntee and Jim Silverstone! … All three were in cahoots with the El Mar headquarters of their puppeteers as well as their chosen Town Manager Esther Colon…Asst. Town Manager John Olinzock …and the heads of each of the Town’s department such as Finance and Human Resources that imploded upon the win of their opposition in 2010 and a long list of the mess they made and hid behind those Town Hall doors uncovered daily at every turn !…

What former Commissioner Clottey and her backers are doing now is hoping the voters have very short memories and that she can run claiming she was successful… well informed…well spoken…and independent…all of which is quite the opposite!… Birute Ann Clottey won her seat in 2008 by 113 votes against Incumbent Chuck Clark …and that was due to her riding in on the coattails of her CIC “slate” …As written about so long ago after her win this writer was a co-manager of that campaign (see How The Sausage Was Made in the sidebar)…. she was a reluctant candidate who presented us with huge mountains to climb in order to make her anywhere near viable!… Once in office this writer spoke to her before every meeting about the agendas just as this writer was front and center coaching her on every campaign event and debate in order to make her presentable and informed on the issues which she was not…. For former Commissioner Clottey to claim she was responsible for the return of the VFD is akin to Al Gore saying he invented the internet!… She was not involved in the issue until former Comm. Jerry McIntee persuaded her to run from the north end of town when he could find no one else!… She knew nothing of the VFD and what had transpired…. Did she vote them in along with other votes from the dais that brought AMR to town…yes… as she was told to do!… Has she ever voted independently as this writer was informed she has claimed 90% of the time in her term?…. If you believe that then as they say I have some swamp land you can build on….if you want to put her in for another term!… Former Comm. Clottey voted as she was told by her “partners” in “crime (s)” …(metaphor or reality…you decide!)…. whether it was the “broom boys” and/or the Furths!… She voted most often with the 2010 majority until her term ended due to a lack of wanting to stir anything up as well as a major defeat that put the brakes on her co-horts especially after the fallout of what real mess was left in the wake of ousting Clottey’s Town Hall staff pals…which she alone was on record for trying to keep in place as long as she could!….

Here are some excerpts of former Commissioner Clottey’s as the Town fired Esther Colon in the Sentinel …( link is below) ….

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea fires town manager

Esther Colon worked for the town for a decade

April 21, 2010|By Linda Trischitta, Sun Sentinel

LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA — Town Manager Esther Colon was fired late Tuesday night with a 4-1 vote.

“I think that this was a foolish time to fire her,” Commissioner Birute Clottey said Wednesday. She cast the lone vote in support of Colon.

Commissioners gave no explanation Tuesday night for the dismissal.

But on Wednesday, Mayor Roseann Minnet said, “We fired her because the town is going in a new direction, and she wasn’t a part of that direction. We have a new commission and she served at the pleasure of the dais. We’re seeking unity, bringing the town together, working cohesively and respecting each other.”

“We needed her until August, and now it will be tough,” Clottey said. “She was a tough negotiator … and knew the system and how to get things done for us. We are now at a distinct disadvantage. I think this will result in higher taxes for our taxpayers.”

Colon’s departure was immediate. When the meeting ended, she turned in her cell phone and the keys to town hall and her municipal car, Town Spokesman Steve d’Oliveira said.

She worked for a decade for the town. Before she left, Colon thanked the residents who supported her.

When she became town manager in 2007, Colon’s contract listed a $146,743 annual salary. Despite a public records request, the town did not make available her current salary or severance amount.

Colon angered residents when she fired popular Broward Sheriff’s Chief Scott Gooding in July 2009.

Clottey said Colon was “a good public servant. What she lacked was a little bit of finesse in dealing with people. She treated everybody equally, and some people didn’t like that.”

Former Commissioner Clottey was once again on the wrong side as she was when she stood alongside her co-horts when they backed the removal of former BSO Chief Scott Gooding which caused a huge uproar by the masses and required a meeting in Jarvis Hall to deal with the outcry !…. No taxes went up as former Commissioner Clottey predicted would occur from Colon being fired…quite the opposite!… The Interim Town Manager Connie Hoffman walked in to a 3- ring circus right after former Asst. Town Manager John Olinzock gave a big fat check to his former boss without being authorized to do so !… Readers can simply scroll to those times on this site or Google to see what transpired and to see that former Commissioner Clottey was drastically more often than she claims in her present day election talking points on the wrong side with whom she aligned herself with and chose to support as the giant scab came off and the mess left in the wake of those her allies fought to keep in place were escorted out of the building many with BSO officers by their side!….

Former Interim Town Manager John Olinzock and supporter Christie Furth..as he was ousted from his duties…

Interim Town Manager Connie Hoffman walked into such a tangled web of boxes upon boxes, important paperwork missing, bills unpaid and no organizational rhyme or reason that she and those she brought in to aid her worked non- stop to in order to afford LBTS the working government we deserved and did not have in place unbeknownst to most of us!…. The budget that year could not even be finalized and adjustments were ongoing as accounts and accountability were installed and updated to offer real transparency instead of bogus awards that were long touted as financial achievements but upon some research by this writer and some on the commission turned out to be nothing more than an everyone gets one award to all that apply!…

As the race in 2012 began former Commissioner Clottey decided not to run…It is this writer’s opinion she chose not to run because she knew she had no chance to win against Mark Brown an opponent who would and could nail her on her deplorable dais record especially since there was no way to revise it as she is trying so hard to do in this race due to fresh memories being front and center …..She who had so often been an embarrassment as this writer blogged about whether dealing with vendors… residents…businesses (an ongoing opponent of downtown music/special events as advised by her co-horts)…..and her misguided and incomprehensible grasp on those areas of finance she now claims is her expertise!….. Here are a few excerpts from the Sentinel about that 2012 race with the link to the full story below…as Clottey took a pass….

“January 8, 2012|By Larry Barszewski, Sun Sentinel

The election: On Jan. 31, town voters will choose a new Seat 3 commissioner. Commissioner Birute Ann Clottey is not seeking re-election.

The background: Warring factions were prevalent in town elections as recently as two years ago, but the feud has essentially disappeared in this year’s Lauderdale-by-the-Sea elections. Vice Mayor Stuart Dodd has been re-elected without opposition and the two candidates for Clottey’s seat share views similar to those of the commission majority.

Town affairs have quieted down considerably since a new commission majority took over in 2010. The commission quickly disposed of former Town Manager Esther Colon and brought in former Fort Lauderdale City Manager Connie Hoffman to take the reins of the town’s administration. Commission meetings have gone from combative to congenial.”

Concerning our current Town Manager Connie Hoffman…. It has come to this writer’s attention that the Clottey -CIC crew has decided to use some of the 2010 playbook of blame the Town Manager for being in control …If true it’s beyond crazy when you consider that there is absolutely no meat on the bone to do so…..Clottey herself gave TM Hoffman high marks when evaluating her in 2011 as excerpts show from the Pelican…(link to full article below)…..

“Commissioner Birute Ann Clottey said Hoffmann “jumped in and took off running and is to be commended for this. She is an analytical and strategic thinker with excellent people skills. LBTS has benefited from her outstanding leadership.” But Clottey said she is concerned about a rush to outsource some departmental functions and wants to see the long-term benefit to residents and businesses before these types of decisions are made.”

How they rated her

Mayor Minnet .. . .4.0

Vice Mayor Dodd . . . 4.3

Commissioner Clottey. . . . .4.2

Commissioner Sasser . . . . . 4.0

Commissioner Vincent . . . . 4.7

http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00090900/00268

It was revealed to this writer that the Clottey- CIC crew are trying real hard to throw all the old Furth-CIC election playbook garbage out and see what sticks with the voters when it comes to declarations we are told were made concerning this commission’s agendas and the lack of commissioner backed items as compared to their time at the helm… Come on!…The agendas back in the CIC led majority days were tit- for tat commissioner items of war against opposing commissioners, constituents and businesses…They were used for fear and retribution as well as doing bad deeds and occasionally sometimes good ones for supporters and neighbors due to the utter lack of any staff assistance unless it was on the agenda and in the record for agenda minutes …all courtesy of the Colon administration!…It resulted in overly long contentious meetings that sometimes went on for days …unnecessarily ….and ineffectively ….which by a way definitely helped in overturning that majority as most in town had simply had enough!… Town Manager Connie Hoffman quite literally took down the wall that prevented off the dais action by first removing the plate glass window in the reception area of Town Hall and making all departments and staff available and accountable as well as working with the commission to offer new web alternatives that cut out the need for the old norms… Town Manager Hoffman and her staff have worked hard to keep the present commission fully informed of what is happening in real time throughout the weeks along with the successful liaison program introduced in 2010 so that agendas are much more streamlined and manageable in content and time on the dais… and for those attending the meetings… This too was a big want of those who answered a 2009 survey hastily put out without a vote by the former administration pre- election!…On that point…this writer has repeatedly heard the old CIC line…”The people want…”… Please tell me who are “the people?”… For they have not and are not at the podium..armed with demands Clottey and her co-horts are using to make their minority views seem viable …Any excuses of fear to do so is a load of crap…as those who remember their past is a non-starter at best… They had no backing when they came to the Charter Review Board meeting despite claims being made in this campaign… A simple look on the town website at the videos of those meetings will prove the small number of Furth followers who answered the call to arms…Na da!….

There have been outrageous claims this writer has been told of made by Clottey and her supporters of 15-17 million dollars in reserves being used for the downtown project!… What?… Look at the numbers on the town website…look at our annual budget…This woman and her crowd have always been way off when it comes to budgets !… The accurate amount we are told is $4.475 million …Now compare that to what has been done in neighboring towns for the quality downtown project we received in an unheard amount of time for construction of 6 months!… It’s overwhelmingly bizarre that the CIC and the Furths would go negative to any extent concerning the undeniably great results thus far when their organizations facebook page contains photos with nothing but positive captions of that very project!… The Furths did much the same in a mailer a few months back to advertise their motel!… Ha!…. Speaking of what we will get if former Commissioner Clottey is elected it has been called to this writer’s attention that even her campaign thus far has not met the requirements of the process itself in the candidate handbook!… She has had illegal signs that stated re-elect when she is not an incumbent…and did not provide the required information/disclosure and that it took quite a while to get straightened out…As if that was not enough from her first two financial reports she appears to be walking down the same path as former commissioners McIntee and Silverstone did which landed them in Tallahassee due to inaccurate or false claims and monies used in ways that do not followed the required protocol such as who is paying what bills and with what check/credit card and who may or may not be neglecting the $300 limit allowed to give a candidate which was the amount Clottey’s crew fought to introduce after lowering some years ago from $500!… If she cannot run her campaign and her campaign finances how can she possibly state she has the acumen to run ours?… From what this writer hears her campaign finances will not be overlooked and her accounting for them (pun intended) will continue most likely well after March11th!…

Former Commissioner Clottey has padded her accomplishments in her mailers …in my opinion …She places a spotlight on herself for what was basically going along with those she served with from 2010-2012… Her claims of getting grants were not done unilaterally by her and her statement of being “instrumental” in securing funds for improvements on El Mar Drive and A1A are greatly overinflated and delusional…again in my opinion… The MPO and Broward League of Cities appointments were and are routinely divvied up among those sitting on the dais…and she had her turn as did and do others …who don’t try to use it to flesh out a meager resume in order to get another term!…

It is so important that we don’t go backwards in this town…So important that we quash those who long for the days of being relevant and desiring of warring factions …calling the shots …on their whim and lack of knowledge…just because they can!… We as a town have another real opportunity on March 11th to continue the successes we have built on since the 2010 and 2012 elections….

That happens only …in this writer’s opinion ….with the election of candidate Elliot Sokolow who actually possesses the steller resume and acumen former Commissioner Clottey covets! …… Candidate Eric Yankwitt may be that “good guy” (haven’t we been down that road before!)…as some have stated …but to me he is too much of an “I” man and was not in any way outstanding on the P & Z Board as far as this writer is concerned…and may be right where he belongs in our community serving up activities that impact us off the dais not on…

The voters have the opportunity over this last leg of the campaign to get the facts and check out those who are running and what they are espousing in their campaign literature and their responses at the upcoming debates… Don’t cast a vote on what you are hearing without checking who is behind the candidate as well as their claims!…. Who offers sincere and knowledgable unfettered by the past?… Elliot Sokolow does… Who offers accountability with a proven track record of long term service with long term support from those who served alongside him as well as from those he represented? …Only one candidate in this 2014 race for seat 1…Elliot Sokolow!….

Don’t let former Commissioner Clottey back on the dais …. because every seat up there is crucial to all of us and this town we love so much!….

VOTE 2 ELECT ELLIOT SOKOLOW …. he is # 2 on the ballot but # 1 in what he offers LBTS !…

more to come….

Comments Off on Here’s The Scoop ….Updated….The Real First Term Resume Of Former Commissioner Birute Ann Clottey …. Do We Really Want A Repeat Of 2008- 2012? …

I returned for the holidays once again this year to see the great changes to our little town! Wow!

Yep, we missed the 6 months of construction which I am sure impacted daily, weekly or intermittently residents and businesses but still compared to Pompano and other major town projects it’s really a testament to this current commission and administration to pull it off in half a year while fending off any and all impediments that surely came in their way as they proceeded!

I heard a few personal preferences voiced by both owners of businesses and residents on whether the waves brick motif should have extended further east toward the newly painted pavilion or the colors used and size of the new area in front of the pavilion but even those remarks were followed by positive nods of approve meant for both the project and those committed to it on the dais!

There has been such a turn around over the last 4 years and especially the last 2 with the exit of former Commissioner Birute Clottey, the last holdover of the ” The How The Sausage Was Made” (see categories to refresh your memory of the past in LBTS) and the seat being filled by Mark Brown. Everything voters/residents asked for has come to fruition- a cohesive, cordial atmosphere in Town and Jarvis Hall both on and off the dais. Shorter meetings which lead to items being addressed and problems and projects being completed instead of continuance after continuance with no movement forward as had been the status quo! There were some hiccups along the way to get where we are today but we made it! The town has not looked or felt this good in years- so quaint, welcoming – so Lauderdale-By- The- Sea! It was a long time in coming …. and definitely a return to the town we fell in love with in 1999!

So how are we going to continue on this path?

By not forgetting the path we were on and being lulled into voting for a woman to make sure we have a woman on the dais! By not forgetting Candidate Birute Clottey was called “Clueless” for a reason! By not forgetting Birute Clottey is a mouthpiece for a couple that fought any improved development as evil and projected fear-mongering at every turn to thwart it! By not forgetting Birute Clottey was downright classless on the dais toward her fellow woman (Mayor Minnet) serving on the dais in the center seat at every turn from the start of her term til the end! By not forgetting Birute Clottey helped through her third vote to seal the deal on ousting former Police Chief Scott Gooding! By not forgetting Birute Clottey was right alongside former Town Manager Esther Colon in trying to oust the Senior Center Director and make unnecessary changes that almost closed it down! By not forgetting Birute Clottey was a staunch supporter of former Town Manager Esther Colon and Asst. Town Manager- Interim TM John Olinzock and fought to keep them at the helm! By not forgetting the ridiculous claims made against the BSO’s service to our town with erroneous claims that made absolutely no sense! By not forgetting that Birute Clottey was not part of the solutions on the dais she was last holdout part of the problem!

Birute Ann Clottey for some reason that is beyond comprehension to this writer and countless others has decided to run again for seat 1 in the north after Vice Mayor Scot Sasser chose to run for Mayor. She is being run by the same couple that ran her the last time and all the way through her first term. (As well as a man now shunned by those opposed to Clottey and her handlers as he did.) She and they seem to be honing in on a popular tact for campaigns this year- voting for a woman!

So far we have seen she/they are using her photo from 2007 and her first run for her campaign. Her signs were illegal using “re-elect” even though she has been out of office since 2012! They may still be questionable showing no seat as is required. On top of that she sent out a mailer after coming to public comments insinuating she was a big part of the great strides made in town! She/they have the audacity to put in her fliers ” Perhaps the best way to predict any commissioner’s future decisions is to review their past decision.”

Dear Readers- I implore you -do that please!

Look at her past decisions!

Look at her past actions!

Scroll down through this site at all of her past decisions and actions or just Google Birute Ann Clottey. It’s all there! Look at her and who she brings with her on the dais and then make sure you and your friends, neighbors and fellow LBTS voters do not get lulled into a very false political narrative that will bring detrimental consequences if she gets elected!

Do not vote for Birute Ann Clottey just because she is a woman!

Do not vote for Birute Ann Clottey just because she is running against two men!

Do not vote for Birute Ann Clottey just because she is first on the ballot!

Do not vote for Birute Ann Clottey just because she has a familiar name recalled from the past!

Birute Ann Clottey’s first mailer says she has a “vision for the future!” – Don’t be fooled because that “vision” is nothing but a return to the past we worked so hard to get rid ourselves of!

I have been asked who I support and to that I replied that I intend to vote for candidate Elliot Sokolow for seat 1 because he has a proven track record serving on the council in Sea Ranch Lakes as President and Finance Director as well as serving on other boards including the Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals, the Broward League of Cities Board of Directors and the Hillsboro Inlet Commission and the Broward County Planning Council. All were held long-term and on all he was highly regarded by those who served with him! He has run and started up successful companies. He lived in the closest community to LBTS for years well aware of the plight of our town as well the recent resurgence now as a resident. He understands and adheres to the desire to keep our low- rise heights. He has chosen to run for seat 1 in order to aid in continuing the progress made by this current commission and for that I am thrilled! I believe he will fit right in with Mark Brown, Chris Vincent, Stuart Dodd and Scot Sasser!

I will not be voting for candidate Eric Yankwitt for seat 1 for the same reason I could not vote for Edmund Malkoon in 2012 . I was not impressed with him as a member of the Planning and Zoning Board and do not think he will do any better as a commissioner.

I was also asked by quite a few former full-time readers to post about this race after being on hiatus for such a long time and was hesitant to stir the pot- especially so early in this race for seat 1 but after seeing the Clottey mailer I could not remain quiet or leave this site dormant if there is any chance she could indeed deceive and lull anybody into voting her into another 4 years on the commission in my town!

Next year will again be different for this writer as I return home full-time. I intend to be front and center at all Town Hall commission meetings that I hope are still short, concise, congenial and on track to make LBTS move forward with Mayor Scot Sasser, Chris Vincent, Mark Brown , Stuart Dodd and Elliot Sokolow on the dais!

Please do your homework -read up on the candidates, watch the debates, open your doors to meet these candidates, put signs in your yard and and make sure that you and your friends vote absentee or on March 11, 2014 at Jarvis Hall (Assumption Church is not being used this time- all voters go to Jarvis Hall) – This is no time to be lulled or complacent and let your guard down or to think your one vote or that of your neighbor’s won’t make a difference! In this all important election for seat 1 ( everyone votes for seat 1 from both sides of town!) it definitely will!

And on the referendums right the wrong of not allowing the Mayor to run for commissioner without interruption as the commissioners are allowed to do to run for mayor!

More to come….

Comments Off on Here’s The Scoop…Time Marches On ….. On March 11, 2014 “Do Not” Vote For Birute Ann Clottey!

Dear Readers…as I previously posted I feel I have now completed the mission I started in January 2008 after the CIC-PAC majority win for dais went south …no pun intended… even before they were sworn in!…(see” How The Sausage Was Made” under categories) ..I made it my business to reverse the mistakes I took responsibility for having played such a large role in creating with managing the next majority win of seats on the dais for the opposition PAC’s slate of candidates from UOT in 2010 … I took some time away from posting as much if at all after making the decision in 2010 to divide my time between Chicago and LBTS in order to help out my daughter and her husband with our first grandchild so that my daughter could finish up her Ph.D at the University of Chicago and only came back when I saw some issues I did not feel were in line with what was planned to be accomplished over the first two years …I called out some of those sitting on the dais and in the administration for some of those decisions I as a voter/taxpayer disagreed with making some none-to-pleased in the process …..While it was my intention to sit out the 2012 race I ultimately found I could not ….I really came back full- force one more time after I became increasingly appalled and dismayed at the neutrality and complacency resulting from so many past UOT-PAC and non- UOT-PAC supporters /voters who wrongly thought there was no real difference between the two candidates running for seat 3…In my opinion… It was quite an eye-opener though how fast this somber non-participatory commission race ramped up and then some once I started posting in a manner I submit was no different than the 2010 race I posted about and that of the 2008 race I was co-manager of …..Those who took issue with my posting as “mean” and “cyber-bullying” in 2011-12 …..were the very same people that provided me with kudos in the past for going full-force against those candidates they themselves opposed … I previously posted and still stand by the opinion that their use of being “mean” and/or “cyber-bullying” when describing my posts really demeans their candidate as one of being a child in need of “protection” and a far more serious connotation I do not feel it is right to put in print …Neither one was or is correct … I absolutely do believe the best candidate Mark Brown won seat 3 and I absolutely do believe his opponent Edmund Malkoon needs to face the Fl. Election Commission for actions taken that I believe took many, many votes away from Brown as result of breaking the nonpartisan election statute the candidates and their protectionist “handlers” were well aware of from past elections ….. As for those who have given me a heads- up on after campaign “warpath” antics started by a small group of Malkoon supporters …Thanks, but no need for me to go there … Been there …done that after the 2008 fallout with others who were on the “warpath” for similar reasons … Let the readers and voters decide what they want to read and believe… As for this writer, I will only pass on that information provided to me to the correct attorneys I have in place for protection of copyright and intellectual property and they will monitor things and let me know if there is any need to proceed in any legal manner only based on those two issues…but not opinions or a need to lash out after their loss in the 2012 election…I hope that the whomever decides to start a blog does so with this in mind ….You better have a thick skin and be ready for spending a huge amount of time checking facts from more than one source as well as tracking down and researching historical information in order to make it …They also need an enormous amount of time to invest in keeping it up long term and they really need to know it takes on a life of its own when it is carried forward not only online but especially off by word of mouth which again requires a great deal of changing your priorities in your everyday life and dealing with whatever comes your way in a town that changes alliances as often as we change commissioners on the dais… Good luck to those who take on this endeavor…. Sometimes it is worth making the sacrifice as I feel it was with finishing my mission as stated above and often in the thick of an onslaught from those angry with you it is not!…

Below is the campaign palm card Malkoon supporter (s?) Cindy Geesey was handing out on the day of the election before the BSOE shut her down along with imposing rules this Town has never had imposed before… At the time I was informed it was enforced I was most surprised because the ability to talk to voters and hand out literature as well as the all important palm card coveted a good many votes to help win the race!… Keep in mind those cards we gave out were always positive and offered the voters a sample of the ballot to aid in filling in the bubble for the candidate we supported… Any outside literature and discussion we supplied were on Town issues not party affiliation…So, in retrospect it is a godsend the BSOE clamped down before anymore damage was done in our traditional nonpartisan municipal election to Mark Brown…One only has to see the number of votes Brown received in absentee votes 321-165 (prev. post ) to see that violating the Fl.Statute in the BTSF ad by Malkoon as well as handing out this outrageous palm card surely cost Mark Brown a larger percentage of votes!… To say Malkoon was close in this race is a misnomer at best due to the dirty tricks employed to garner him votes that were not so much for him as they were votes against Brown for playing the party affiliation card!… Mark Brown will file his complaints as he stated in the Sentinel based on the BTSF ad/yard signs with no disclaimer/palm cards with no disclaimer and if Malkoon is even lucky enough to only receive a slap on the wrist for his actions his future opponents will be able to bring the complaints and the decision made by the Fl, Elections Commission if he chooses to run for office again!..

MALKOON PALM CARD…

The next chapter begins for LBTS on February 14th with Mark Brown taking his seat on the dais after being sworn in …He will be in the position of making those who voted for him proud they did so and for those who did not for whatever reason decide they should have …In my opinion….

The next chapter for this writer will begin next fall …as we continue on to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor…Our daughter was chosen from approximately one thousand highly qualified applicants for a 3-year fellowship /Asst. Professor position to continue on with her research and publishing (2 important discoveries already published with 3 in the works and more after that to come ) as an Evolutionary Biologist… So that means our time of dividing where we live will be extended …happily so!…Our granddaughter Lilly will be 2 years old in April and has become an extremely independent toddler who makes each and every day an adventure for her grandmother with her sense of wonder in experiencing the world with so many firsts …. What could be better or more important?… Nothing that I can think of!… I will from time to time catch up on the issues and what’s what from friends and our younger daughter who continues to reside there full time and of course in the off-granddaughter duty weeks/months we have to come back home and enjoy the best of what LBTS offers …

I have been asked to keep the site up for those who go to it for historical content and I will do so…. As far as any further posting on LBTS… I cannot think of any reason to do so with the promise I made to myself and others now a done deal….

NEW POLL SITE RULES …NO SIGNS + NO TENTS IN THE DRIVEWAY …NO PALM CARDS…NO ARM TWISTING … NO LIES SPREAD … NO PARTY POLITICS IN A NONPARTISAN RACE ….

Mark Brown and supporters ……

Malkoon supporters…

Malkoon supporters….

Dear Readers …we hear last night there was a mini-showdown at Assumption Church as tents were going up for Brown …It is said a call was made to Malkoon to assure there was plenty of room for his by a Brown supporter…As it was put to this writer from one observer…”Mama Bear” came flying over in her car and was throwing her weight around …Malkoon showed up after being brought by Shanna Koss and let “Mama” handle it..In the end peace was found after the BSO were called to see where the Brown tents were placed in order to cover any hanky panky overnight …At midnight Brown and supporters put up their two tents at Town Hall…We hear there was some jostling and taunting etc…there as well… BSO was put on alert to watch Malkoon’s “protectors” especially regarding one Malkoon supporter who has repeatedly made threats against Brown supporters in the days to come…There have been four of them so far….We hear this morning Cindy Geesey was practically accosting voters arriving in small numbers …But this year that was quickly remedied as the BSOE made new rules usurping LBTS traditions and laid them down asap!…No signs or tents in the driveway area…No talking to voters on the way in…No palm cards…Neutralizing this race in the waning hours!… We hear Malkoon’s rabid “protectors” were made mute and were met with complaints being made to election officials and BSO if they dared to pounce or make loud empty threats toward the Brown campaigners… Each one hightailed it outta there!… The BSOE did what so many wanted to do from the get- go in this 2012 election to Malkoon-Geesey -Fleishman et al in their fight to stop votes for Brown…They made it a nonpartisan race once again!…

more to come…

Comments Off on Here’s The Scoop … Today’s The Day …Election Day 2012 For Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Seat 3 …

Dear Readers …we hear there was a strategic meeting yesterday with supporters of Mark Brown to go over their duties for today and tomorrow… Just as it has been all throughout this race between Brown and his opponent Edmund Malkoon …Brown has continued to prove he is the candidate of choice for Seat 3 by so many knowledgeable voters on both sides of the Jarvis Hall aisle as they respond to his personal phone calls…..They are offering up words of support….of being neutral no more….and say they passing the word along to many not as knowledgeable who have asked them who they should vote for ….There are offers to hold signs by some that do not usually do so as well as a desire be there to assist outside the polling places tomorrow… They know the difference between Brown and Malkoon which became even more apparent as each week of the campaign progressed and that the stakes are way too high to stand idle especially when there is now a highly charged small contingency of Malkoon “protectors” on the warpath … In the process of protecting Malkoon this assertive bunch have further demeaned him far more than any posts .concerning Malkoon’s actions by making him appear even more childlike and in need of protection done by any means…with open threats against Brown supporters ….aiding in breaking Fl. State statutes .which apply to nonpartisan elections …calling and/or emailing protection type messages claiming “meanness” and “bullying” of their candidate is not fair!…It is further embarrassment for Candidate Malkoon when the underlying message coming from many of the most intense and vocal Malkoon supporters-protectors is not one of support of their candidate but a loudly stated personal vendetta against his opponent!….

Today we are hearing even more questions concerning the truthfulness in regard to Malkoon’s election material contained in his new mailer ….One is his Assumption Catholic Church “lifetime member” claim and the other is being a member of the LBTS Chamber of Commerce… It appears some members of the church are saying he is not …As far as the Chamber he joined in 2010 …ran for the board and lost and has not paid his 2012 dues as of today…His business address under Realtors on the Chamber’s website shows the Pompano Beach address his mother used until March of 2011 as previously posted… So right now it appears Malkoon is not a paid up member of the Chamber … Perhaps the check is in the mail?…
Malkoon Business Info… LBTS Chamber site…
“Fred Malkoon Real Estate
1000 E. Atlantic Blvd., Suite 226
Pompano Beach, FL 33060
(954) 802-3403[email protected]
Contact: Edmund Malkoon”

…………

More to come….

Comments Off on Here’s The Scoop … Scene & Heard Around Town One Day Before The 2012 Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Nonpartisan Municipal Election For Commission Seat 3 …. Final Preparations …

Dear Readers …you remember that email (see below) Candidate for Seat 3 Edmund Malkoon sent after the Jan.15, 2012 CIC-PAC meeting he and his opponent Mark Brown were invited to attend thanking them and stating “I am so grateful to have been given your trust. I will endeavor to promote the ideals your organization has fought so hard to achieve.” …Malkoon went on to make some ominous remarks about fears he had in the weeks ahead concerning the BTSF newspaper etc…He concluded with this statement…” I understand you may be sending out an email. If you can ask for word of mouth, sign placement, and help with poll day, i would greatly appreciate it.” ….Well, on Sunday night that email went out from Bob Roberts to members and those who have not been for years …. (see below) …Bob Roberts stated the Board wanted the minutes to be released for members …I have been informed the minutes being sent out has not happened before this… The minutes are hardly minutes of a meeting …They are more like a need to calm those who may be uncomfortable with what appeared to be an endorsement of a Candidate who made the decision after that Jan. 15, 2012 meeting to run an ad in the BTSF and promote his party affiliation and that of his opponents in a nonpartisan election!… The brief synopsis of the Jan. 15, 2012 CIC-PAC meeting are not quite accurate either according to some in attendance …The “well attended meeting” brought out 20-25 …The CIC board itself is close to that number with spouses….Then there’s this one… “Members were pleased that both candidates pledged to preserve one of the Citizen Initiative Committee’s most important issues – maintaining the current 3-story height zoning in original Lauderdale by the Sea.” It was actually a promise that neither Candidate would introduce a referendum to change the zoning for heights… WOW!… I thought it was incredible that the CIC-PAC was endorsing (or not?-see below) ….Malkoon who is a paid-up long time member of the UOT-PAC who is being coached, mentored and supported by former UOT Pres. Bob Fleishman and Cindy Geesey …but this promise the CIC asked for tops even that!…It goes against the very ideals the CIC are based on…the ability for the people to unite in order to change or preserve the town through referendum! …Originally Bob Roberts sent out an email stating the CIC would not be endorsing either candidate this year …The word after Malkoon’s email and the signs going up in the Furth’s yard as well as other CIC Board members was an endorsement was received on Jan. 15th …Bob Roberts in these “minutes” sets the record straight 2 weeks later though… “The CIC will not officially endorse any candidates for this year’s municipal election. However, Chairman Couriel took a straw poll of the audience after the presentations as to which candidate they thought was most aligned with the CIC’s “small-town quality of life values.” The members voted their support for Edmund Malkoon.” …So it can be surmised that while the CIC did not officially endorse Malkoon they believed him that he will indeed … “endeavor to promote the ideals your organization has fought so hard to achieve.” …. That CIC “straw poll” and this setting the record straight CIC email to CIC members was certainly not what Malkoon was counting on from the group he jumped ship to for votes!….

Thank you for keeping an open mind and giving me the opportunity to come speak. I am so grateful to have been given your trust. I will endeavor to promote the ideals your organization has fought so hard to achieve. As i said at the Town Forum ” We arent all that different in what we seek for this Town. ” I will be your representative and be open to dialogue from all.

We have 2 weeks left. I am going to start pounding the pavement for the second time. I also will have a mailer going out before Weds. I am a little cautious on The next Future paper. Its the last edition before the election and a bit worried about things being made up. But hopefully the voters will see the conflict. I hope it remains neutral.

I understand you may be sending out an email. If you can ask for word of mouth, sign placement, and help with poll day, i would greatly appreciate it.

During our January meeting attending members decided that the minutes of the meeting should be distributed to our members. The following are the minutes.

Sincerely,
The CIC Board of Directors

Lauderdale by the Sea Citizens Initiative Committee

Minutes of Membership Meeting, January 15, 2012
The meeting was called to order by CIC Chair, Joe Couriel at 7:00 pm. The CIC Board of Directors had invited the two LBTS Commission Candidates, Mark Brown and Edmund Malkoon to give presentations and answer questions from our members. The meeting was well-attended and very informative.

Members were pleased that both candidates pledged to preserve one of the Citizen Initiative Committee’s most important issues – maintaining the current 3-story height zoning in original Lauderdale by the Sea.

The CIC will not officially endorse any candidates for this year’s municipal election. However, Chairman Couriel took a straw poll of the audience after the presentations as to which candidate they thought was most aligned with the CIC’s “small-town quality of life values.” The members voted their support for Edmund Malkoon.